Closure member



1962 B. A. SARAFINAS 3,021,975

CLOSURE MEMBER Filed April 7, 1960 my. 1. F29. a. my. 5.

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United States Patent '0 CLOSURE MEMBER Bruno A. Sarafinas, Saugus, Mass., assignor to United- Carr Fastener Corporation, Cambridge, Mass., a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 7, 1960, Ser. No. 20,634 Claims. (Cl. 220-60) This invention relates generally to closure members and more specifically to the form of closure member known in the trade as a plug button.

An object of the invention is to provide a closure member which will prevent water or other liquids from entering the application hole at the edge engaged by the member.

A further object of the invention is to provide an insulating closure member formed of plastic material.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a closure member having an easy on, hard ofl action.

Other objects of the invention will, in part, be obvious, and will, in part, appear hereinafter.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the closure member;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the closure member;

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the closure member;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged section taken on the line 44 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view of the closure member with the terminal portion set for engagement;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged side elevation partly in section with the terminal portion set for engagement;

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the closure member assembled in an apertured support;

FIG. 8 is a bottom plan view of the closure member assembled in an apertured support; and

FIG. 9 is an enlarged section taken on the line 9-9 of FIG. 7.

Referring to the drawings, there is illustrated a one piece plastic closure member 10 comprising a base ele ment 12, a flange 14 and a tubular engaging portion 16. The base element 12 may comprise a solid cap which closes one terminal opening of the tubular engaging ele ment as shown in FIG. 4. However, the base element 12 may consist in a peripheral rim allowing the tubular engaging element 16 to remain open at both ends.

The flange 14 is integral with said base element 12 forming an arcuate bight portion 18 at their point of juncture. The flange 14 is in spaced relation with the support portion 20 of the tubular engaging portion 16 whereby it circumscribes a portion of said support portion 20 forming a circular rim having an axis coincident with the axis of said tubular engaging portion 16. The flange 14 extends in a direction away from said base element 12 in the same general direction as the said tubular engaging portion 16. The said tubular engaging portion 16 is integral with the said base element 12. The axis of said tubular engaging portion 16 is coincident with the axis of said base element 12 whereby the support portion 20 of the tubular engaging portion 16 is in substantially right angle relationship with said base element 12 as best shown in FIG. 4. Said tubular engaging portion 16 comprises said support portion 20 and a terminal portion 22 with a neck 24 connecting said support portion 20 and said terminal portion 22. The inner edge 26 of said support portion 20 adjacent the neck 24 is sloped to form a chamfer. The support portion 20 is formed in a comparatively thick section making it rigid and capable of withstanding forces which might collapse it on engagement with an apertured support 28. The terminal portion 22 is of thinner cross section than the said support portion 20 but it is of thicker cross section than the said neck 2,021,975 Patented Feb. 20, 1962 24. It is. necessary to have the terminal portion 22 of thicker cross section thanthe neck 24, to prevent the said terminal portion 22 from unwinding after it has been set in the secondary position as will be explained hereinafter. A locking shoulder 30 is formed on the inside circumferential surface of the terminal portion 22 a predetermined distance from the lip 32 of the said terminal portion 22 and the part of the inside circumferential surface of the terminal portion 22 lying between the said shoulder 30 and the said neck 24 is formed into an angular engaging surface 33. An obtuse angular protuberance. 34 is formed on the outside circumferential surface of the said terminal portion 22 as illustrated in FIG. 4.

To engage the closure member 10 with an apertured support 28, the diameter of the flange 14 must be greater than the diameter of the aperture 36 in the said support 28 with which engagement is to be made. The terminal portion 22 is bent using the neck 24 as a swivel point whereby the terminal portion 22 is in circumscribed spaced relation with the support portion 20 and in acute angular spaced relationship with the axis of the tubular engaging portion 16, as illustrated in FIG. 6. Thus a portion of the tubular engaging element 16 is reversed in direction from its original position in any suitable manner. The fastener is now in its secondary position ready for engagement in the said aperture 36. In this position the circumferential diameter of the said lip 32 is greater than the diameter of the said aperture 36. The part of the angular engaging surface 33 nearest the neck 24 is pressed against the edge of a wall surrounding the aperture 36 flexing the terminal portion 22 toward the support portion 20 until the edge of the wall at the aperture 36 passes the point adjacent and below the locking shoulder 30, at which time, a further axial pressure will snap the edge of the aperture 36 into engagement with the shoulder 30 since some stress will be relieved from the terminal portion 22. At the same time, the flange 14 is pressed against the surface of the said support 28 adjacent the edge of the aperture 36 and flexed away from the axis of said base element 12 placing further locking force on the engagement of the shoulder 30 and the portion of the support adjacent the edge of the aperture 36 and also providing a means for eflicient engagement of diflferent thicknesses of the support 28.

Since certain other obvious modifications may be made in this device Without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained herein be interpreted in an illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A member for engagement with the edge of the wall of an aperture in a support, said member comprising a base element, a flange in acute angular relationship with said base element, and a tubular engaging element integral with said base element and extending away from said base element, said flange in spaced relation with said tubular engaging element, said tubular engaging element having a reversible terminal portion.

2. The combination of a thin apertured support and a member for engagement with the edge of a wall of a thin aperture in said support, said member comprising a base element, a flange integral with said base element and a tubular engaging element in substantially right angle integral relationship with said base element and having a reversible terminal portion with an internal shoulder formed therein, said shoulder engaging said edge externally.

3. The combination of a thin apertured support and a member for engagement with the edge of a wall of an aperture in said support, said member comprising a base element, a flange integral with said base element and extending away from said base element, and a reversible tubular engaging element having an internal locking shoulder, said shoulder engaging said edge externally and a portion of said support adjacent said wall, and said flange bearing against the opposite side of said support from that engaged by said shoulder.

4. A member for engagement with the edge of the wall of an aperture in a thin support, said member comprising a base element, a fiange in acute angular relationship with said base element and a tubular engaging element integral with said base element and extending away from'said base element, said flange in spaced relation-with and a portion of said tubular engaging element, said tubular engaging element having a support portion and a terminal portion, said support portion and said terminal portion 4 connected by a neck, said terminal portion bent back toward said flange into spaced circumscribed relationship with said support portion.

5. A closure member as set forth in claim 4 wherein said terminal portion has an internal locking shoulder formed therein for locking engagement with said aperture edge.

References Cited in the tile of this patent FOREIGN PATENTS 1,082,285 France June 16, 1954 

